Whoopi Goldberg Says She Was a “Welfare Mom” on ‘The View’: “All I Wanted to Do Was Work”

A Hot Topics conversation about women in the workplace on this morning’s episode of The View got heated when Whoopi Goldberg opened up about her personal experience on welfare.

The fiery discussion was sparked by Joy Behar, who told the panel that Republicans held up debt limit talks for months because they wanted to impose “stricter work requirements on recipients of food stamps and other public benefits.”

However, Alyssa Farah Griffin noted that the Senate Republicans’ version — which she agreed with — set requirements for people to show that they are “actively trying to pursue work” with hopes that they will enter the workforce so that they’re “not living off the system entirely.”

Her words set off Goldberg, who fired back, “Let me be really clear about this: 95% of people who are getting help are looking for work. Nobody wants this free money that people think is so much. When I was on welfare — because I was a welfare mom — they paid us $27 a week.”

She continued, “All I wanted to do was work. But you know the problem? When you work, they take money out. So they’re keeping you working.”

Goldberg only became more passionate about her stance when Griffin talked about incentives to get off of public assistance.

“No, don’t incentivize it. Change the rule!” Goldberg fumed. “If somebody gets a job, let them keep that job until you know if it’s gonna last. Let them do what they need to do. The second that you start taking money away, now you’ve put them in a worse position.”

The longtime moderator then reiterated that people want to work — and that others need to stop assuming they don’t.

“This is what they used to do when they talked about Black girls who just wanted to lay around and have babies,” she said. “It’s not so. People want work. People care about their kids just like everybody else. And sometimes you don’t have the money and sometimes you do.”

Goldberg added, “Let’s be a little bit more open to the fact that everybody really is trying. Maybe there’s 3% who’s not. But everybody’s trying to do the right thing.”

To conclude the segment, Behar agreed, telling her friend that there’s a “certain contempt for poor people” in this country.

The View airs on weekdays at 11/10c on ABC.